Featured Activities
Ridgeline Adventures has two unique new experiences, primed for adventurous Kiwis of all fitness levels. The Dingleburn Station Safari and Walk and the Wānaka High Country Private Walk offer exclusive access to some of Wānaka’s most untracked and beautiful terrain, while also offering the luxury of a 4WD (for when your feet just need a break).
Think it can’t get any better? We did too, but that was only until we saw the views. The Lake Wānaka team joined Ridgeline on an incredible day in the high country, complete with lambs, epic 4WD tracks and of course, those world-famous skylines.
The tour began with an amble onto the West Wanaka Station, where Ridgeline has exclusive access to the private trails of this 30,000-acre property. We were lucky enough to be on tour during lambing season and got to meet some woolly offspring before we headed off into the hills.
Once we were through the first couple of gates, our guide explained the walk to us. A perfect mix of easy uphill, alpine meadows and rolling ridgelines, the trail is about 20km long. And while that distance may seem daunting to some, the cool thing about this experience is that you can jump in the 4WD at any point throughout the tour.
While our team loved the winding and rocky uphill drive, we couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of contentment as we unloaded to walk for a bit. The fresh mountain air filled our lungs as we marched steadily into the hills, taking in the incredible golds of the tussock surrounding us.
It’s the reason most people hike – getting to the top. That sweet victory after kilometres of climbing. After taking in the epic view and snapping a few photos, we found a spot tucked away into the hillside and settled for some coffee and banter with our guide (plus, some absolutely delicious cakes and gluten-free cookies).
As the sun started to set, we decided to save our knees from the downhill, clambering into the 4WD to begin our descent. The light slowly receded over the braided waters of the Matukituki River and we all reveled in the solitude of being the only seven people in the valley.
